The invention relates to a container having a transparent receptacle containing one or more liquid dissolvable gelatin capsules containing compressed, resiliently expandable toy figurines or characters, the receptacle being mounted on a back plate containing openings which communicate with the interior of the receptacle for permitting a warm liquid, such as a child""s bath water, to enter the receptacle to dissolve the gelatin capsules when the container is immersed in the bath water.
Liquid dissolvable capsules of the aforementioned type are well known in the prior art and are in wide use as novelty items, primarily for the entertainment of small children. Such capsules can be cast into a child""s warm bath water, whereupon they dissolve to release a highly compressed, resiliently expandable foam character or figurine depicting a zoo animal, vehicle, statue, geographic area, cartoon character or other article attractive to children. Upon release from the capsule, the foam character will typically expand to several times the size of the capsule itself.
A difficulty that has been encountered with such capsules is that they are typically of a size that can readily be swallowed by a young child. Under such circumstances the child""s internal temperature is usually more than sufficient to cause the capsule to dissolve to release the expandable figurine.
By means of my invention, these and other difficulties encountered in the use of such capsules are substantially eliminated.
It is an object of my invention to provide a container for housing liquid dissolvable capsules containing compressed, resiliently expandable foam figurines, the container having a transparent receptacle for the capsules into which a warm liquid can seep when the container is immersed in the liquid to cause the capsules to dissolve to permit the figurines to be released while preventing direct handling of the capsules as, for example, by young children
Briefly, in accordance with my invention, there is provided, in combination with at least one liquid dissolvable capsule containing a compressed, resiliently expandable toy figurine, a container for the capsule. The container comprises a flat back plate and a receptacle which is at least partially transparent attached to and projecting outwardly from the plate. The capsule is confined in a closed hollow chamber formed between the receptacle and the back plate. The back plate defines at least one opening which communicates with the chamber for permitting a quantity of a liquid to flow into the chamber to dissolve the capsule upon immersion of the container in the liquid. The opening or openings each have dimensions which are less than that of the capsule to prevent the capsule from being removed from the chamber through any one opening.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and attached drawings upon which, by the way of example, only a preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated.